Amalgon® FAQ
The following are questions provided by the ADA as a basis for establishing an amalgam waste disposal program for dental offices. Our Amalgon product complies with the ADA's Best Management Practice (BMP) for amalgam and amalgam contaminated waste.
Click here for Amalgam Recycling ADA guidelines...
What kind of amalgam waste do you accept?
Contact, non-contact, chair side traps, vacuum pump filters, amalgam sludge, empty amalgam capsules and non infectious teeth with amalgam restorations.
How does your product work?
Amalgon® is a mail-back amalgam recovery and disposal product. Fill the container with amalgam-contaminated waste. Once full, simply attach the pre-paid shipping label and give your full container to the UPS driver that delivers your supplies. Or drop off Amalgon® at a conveniently located UPS location. The package will be shipped to our approved amalgam recycler. The amalgam is separated from the ‘waste' and safely recycled.
Who needs Amalgon®?
Every office that removes or places amalgam fillings, in other words virtually EVERY dental office needs Amalgon®. If you are disposing of or rinsing your vacuum traps out in the sink then you are improperly disposing of hazardous waste. With Amalgon® hazardous amalgam is recycled and re-used. Use Amalgon® to dispose of all your vacuum filters, traps, screens and any other amalgam contaminated items.
What types of waste can be included?
Only amalgam and amalgam-contaminated waste may be placed in the Amalgon® container. Elemental Mercury may not be placed in the Amalgon® container. Call us for information about recycling bulk mercury.
Do you accept whole filters from the vacuum pump for recycling?
Yes. Use Amalgon® for your vacuum pump filters.
Is disinfection required for amalgam waste?
No, although teeth placed in the Amalgon® container must be non-infectious. As long as no ‘tissue' is attached to the tooth then it is generally accepted that the tooth is non-infectious.
Do you pay for clean non-contact amalgam (scrap)?
No, for the convenience of our customers we provide a mixed amalgam waste recycling solution. The cost of sorting and removing amalgam from filters, traps, screens and teeth far exceeds the value of recovered amalgam.
Does your company have an EPA or applicable license?
Yes
Does your company use the proper forms required by the EPA and State agencies?
Yes, our recycling site retains all licenses and permits for metals recovery. Upon request, a certificate of recycling can be provided. Retain the tear-off portion of the UPS label as a tracking document and proof of recycling.
I have an amalgam separator, do I need Amalgon® and what do I do with my used separator filter/cartridge?
An amalgam separator is used in conjunction with Amalgon®, so YES you need Amalgon®. The separator filter/cartridge catches the invisible amalgam dust eliminating mercury pollution from entering our drinking water. The amalgam separator filter/cartridge must be exchanged per manufacturer directions. Once exchanged the used filter/cartridge must be returned to the amalgam separator manufacturer. Typically the separator manufacturer will send you a new filter/cartridge upon receipt of your spent filter/cartridge. Use Amalgon® for your chair side traps, vacuum pump filters, amalgam sludge, empty amalgam capsules, non-infectious teeth with amalgam restorations, contact and non-contact amalgam. By using an amalgam separator, and regularly changing the filter, in conjunction with Amalgon® you eliminate the possibility of mercury entering our environment.
Disposable of chair-side amalgam traps:
1. Remove amalgam trap and place directly into the contact amalgam recycling container. You may need to have a contact amalgam container that is large enough to accommodate the disposable chair-side traps.
2. Do not clean disposable traps under running water or discharge trapped amalgam into the wastewater system.
3. Do not put amalgam trap or its contents into sharps container, red biomedical bag, the trash or rinse it's contents down the drain (unless an amalgam sperator is installed).
* Above information is provided by WCM, Inc.